Tape moistening and pasting device



March 29, 1932. 4 c. J. WALBRAN 1,851,788

TAPE MOISTENING AND PASTING DEVICE Filed Oct. 28. 1927' Patented Mar;.29, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE CHRISTOPHER JAMES WALBRAN, OFMONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO TELE- TYPE CORPORATION, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE TAPE MOISTENIN G AND PASTIN G DEVICEApplication filed October 28, 1927. Serial No 229,870.

The present invention relates to tape mois tening and pasting devices.

More particularly the invention relates to tape moistening and pastingdevices especial- 1y adapted for use in pasting telegra h mes sagesreceived on tape or messa e lanks; for sealing package wrappers withadhesive tape, and like uses. v

Objects of the invention are to provide im- 10 proved and simplifiedtape moistening and pasting devices provided with a single body portionserving as a hand grip and container for water and into which the innerend of the Wick protrudes; to provide moistening and pasting devicesarranged for minimum leakage when not in use which facilitate rapid,efiicient, and neat handling of the tape; and to provide such otherobjectsas may be attained by a utilization of the principles andarrangements hereinafter set forth and as de- 5 ing the guide slotformation.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters in which likecharacters designate like parts, 1 designates a tubular body which ispreferably formed of a transparent material in order that the liquidcontained therein may be seen, and in the present instance is formed'ofpyralin. The tubular body 1, as is clearly shown in Figure 3, is an openended structure having one end thereof closed by means of a suitableplug 2 which is cemented therein and a rubber or pyralin protecting cap2 embraces the end and the plug 2. The opposite end of the tubular bodyis internally threaded as indicated at 3 in Figure 3 which is adapted toreceive the externally threaded end 4 of a removable cap 5', which maybe of hard rubber or other suitable material, Cap 5 adjacent itsthreaded portion is provided with a shoulder portion 6 which is upwardlyextended as indicated at 7, and provided with a guide recess or slot 8(Figure 5). Engaging the shoulder portion 6 is a metallic-washer 9 whichis provided with a laterally turned lip 10 adapted to rest in saidrecess and further provided with upwardly extending projections 10' oneither side of lip 10, and a suitable rubber washer or packing member 11is interposed between the washer 9 and adjacent end of tube 1 to effecta water tight seal between the tubular body and cap 5. The metallic.washer 9 ma be eliminated in which instance only the ru ber washer 11would be interposed between the cap 5' and the body to provide a leakproof connection.

Cap 5 has rigidly embedded and secured therein, a unitary metallicmember 12 providing a .Wick conduit 13 which, as shown in Figure 3extends from the inner end of cap 5 and projects arcuately upward andoutward from the opposite or outer end thereof as indicated at 14, theconduit 13 may be straight and extended upwardly and outwardly from apoint adjacent the bottomof the body 1.

The member 12 further provides a tape guide comprising a flangedextension 15 having secured to the base thereof the base portion of aflanged upwardly extending tape guiding members 16 and extending throughthe flanges of the extension 15 at the outer ends thereof is a shaft 17on which is supported a tape guiding member or shoe 18.

The wick conduit 13 is adapted to receive a suitable wick 19 which, asshown in Figure 3, has the inner end thereof projecting in-- wardly ofthe inner end of the cap into tubular body 1 and the outer end thereofisadapted to be' so positioned as to engage the tape when drawn thereon asindicated in Figure 2.

The upper wall of the tape conduit is-provided with a groove asindicated in Figure 4 adapted to extend the full length of the conduitfor the purpose of admitting air Without the necessity for very carefulfitting of the Wicks necessary when such a groove is loo not provided. Asuitable fine mesh screen .21 is positioned between the upper wall ofcation of the wick with the groove through.

the mesh of the screen in pasting operations so that the-water in thegroove may be absorbed by the wick permitting access of air to theinterior of the container as will more fully hereinafter appear.

Detachably supported on tubular body 1 is p a unitary tape guiding andpressure regulating mechanism 22 which in its construction comprises alongitudinally extending tape guide 23 having secured to the undersurface thereof a pair of ar'cuate yieldable body engaging members 24adapted to yieldably engage the body 1 to detachably secure the guideand pressure regulating mechanism thereto. The guide23 is provided withan internal channel 25 adapted to receive and guide the tape 26. Thebase of the guide 23 extends forwardly of the channelled portion asindicated at 27 and is provided with laterally extending ears 28 adaptedto engage the rear sides of the projections 10' to hold the guideanecphalnism against forward movement on Piirtion 27 merges into athickened angularly extending guide member 27' and rearwardly of thecars 28 the guide 23 is provided with a pair of cars 29 through whichextends a pintle 30. Mounted on pintle 30 between ears 29 are ears 31of, a tape pressure regulating member 32 which, as shown in Figures 2and 3, is provided at the forward end thereof with a slotted tubulartape engaging member 33 and at the rear end thereof is provided with anangular finger engaging member 34.

The member 33 is normally held in engage- Operation I In operation, thewick 19 and screen 21 are introduced into conduit 13 of cap 5 and body 1is filled with water after which the cap is screwed into the end of thebody causing the inner end of the wick to project into the water in thebody. The tape guiding and pressure regulating mechanism 22 is thenapplied to the body 1 by means of members 21 yieldably engaging the bodyand the ears 28 engaging the projections 10' which positions the guidemember 27' substantially in alignment with the end of the wick as shownin Figure 2. Initially, and also when the device is filled but not inuse for pasting purposes water fills groove 20 establishing an air sealwhich prevents air from entering body 1 andaccordingly prevents waterfrom continually dripping out. 1 i

The tape'26 to be pasted is inserted into channel 25 and drawntherethrough either before or after the guide mechanism is positioned onthe body. The tape will then pass over the end of the wick, the tapeextending between guide 27' and member 33 passing over the end of thewick, guiding member 16, and under roller 18, as indicated in Figure 2.

When the tape passes over the end of the wick, water is drawn from thewick which in 'turn obsorbs the water from groove 20 through screen 21permitting air to enter body 1 through the groove allowing the water topass freely by means of capillary attraction through the wick to betransferred to the gummcd surface of the tape. It will accordingly beseen the recess '20 in conduit 13 admits suflicient air into body 1 toavoid creation of a vacuum'and causmg the water to maintain a level,commensurate with the 7 beyond the shoe 18. The moistened surface isthen pressed against the part to which it is to be pasted, such forexample. as a message blank or over the edge of a package wrapper andthe moistener is moved along.

This action draws the tape from the moistener allowing the tape to bepressed against the message blank or package either by hand or by meansof some other ob ect. \Vhen a suflicient quantity of tape has been usedit may be torn and the operation repeated. In this way strips of anydesired length may be applied rapidly to the message blanks or thepackage and the tension of the tape may be varied by turning the pintle30 and putting spring 35 under more or less tension.

The location of the air groove 20 innnediatelv adjacent to the wick 19serves a very useful purpose when the moistener is not in use and tapeis not. being passed over the end of the wick as at the end of a line,and while the succeeding line is being started during which period airwould continue toenter the water reservoir and water would dripcontinuously if the groove 20'were not positioned immediately adjacentto the wick. By positioning the groove 20, as disclosd, the screen 21permits water to flow through it when the preventing any further flow ofwater. When tape is again drawn over the end of the wick the water 1ngroove 20 is drawn mto the wick, and the groove is thuautomatically-freed of water and again acts as a vent permitting air toenter the water reservoir.-

VVhen the moistener is not in use, the tape is lifted oil the end of thewick 19 through engagement therewith of the member 37 by presslng downon the member 34 which member- 34, together with the member 37 upon re-Y lease of the member 34 will automatically assume their originalpositions but due to a sufficient stifiness of the tape it will remainin the position acquired by the above operation and hence will remainout of contact with the wick until it is desired to again put themoistener into operation.

small section of'tape which would rest on the end of the wick andprevents the choking of the wick due to an accumulation of glue.

It will accordingly be seen that a simple and etiicient moistener andtape paster has been provided which auton'iatically seals againstleakage when not in use and lends itself to rapid and etli'cient pastingof tape for various purposes, and which when used for pastingtelegraphic tape on messa e blanks permits satisfactory use withoutsoiling of copies.

Having described a preferred embodiment of the invention, what isdesired to be secured by Letters Patent and claimed as new is:

1. A tape moistener comprising a transparent cylindrical watersupporting body, said body internally threaded at one end thereof, awick supporting cap externally threaded for detachable threadedconnection in saidend of said body, tape guiding and tensioning meansdetachably supported by said body, and a tape guiding and tensioningmeans positioning washer interposed between said cap and said body.

2. A tape moistener comprising a water supporting body, tape guiding andtensioning means detachably supported by said body, a wick supportingcap detachably connected to one end of said body, and tape guiding meanscarried by said cap for co-operation with said tape guiding andtensioning means;

3. A tape moistener comprising abody adapted to receive water, tapeguiding and tensioning means supported by said body: a

cap detachably connected to said body, said cap provided with a wicksupporting conduit. an extension integral with said conduit, saidextension being substantially U-shaped in crosssection, a tape guidesecured to the base of said extension, and a tape guiding membersupported on a shaft extending transversely of said extension in spacedrelation to the base thereof. I

4. A tape-moistener comprising a cylindr cal water receiving body,unitary tape guiding and tensioning means detachably supported by saidbody, said means comprising an elongated guide provided with a pair ofyieldable arcuate members detachably engaged with said cylindrical body.

5. A tape moistener comprising an open ended transparent tubular member,a wick supporting cap detachably engaged with one of .said member, aplug secured to the opposite end of said member; and a cap embracingsaid plug and said opposite end of said member.

6. A tape moistener comprising a tubular body adapted to receive water,tape guiding and tensioning means detachably supported by said body; a.cap detachably connected to one end of said body, a unitary member cm-This prevents leaching the glue off the bedded in said cap and providinga wick supporting conduit and a tape guide co-operating therewith, saidcap provided with a re cessedextension, a yieldable washer interposedbctween said cap and said body, a metallic washer interposed betweensaid cap and said yieldable washer, said metallic washer provided with alip seated in said recess in said extension and upwardly extendingprojections on either side of said lip.

7. The construction defined in claim 6 in which said tape guiding andtensioning means comprises an elongated member adapted to rest betweensaid upwardly extending projections and provided with laterallyextending projections for limiting forward movement of said tape guidingand tensioning means relative to said body.

8. A tape moistener comprising a water receiving body, a tape guidingand tensioning means detachably supported by said body,

said means comprising an enclosed channel defined by inner and outerwalls, said inner wall having an angular extension defining a tapeguide, ears carried by said outer wall, and tensioning means pivotallysupported by said ears, said tensioning means comprising a pressureregulating member, said member provided with a tape engaging portion forco-operation with said angular extension and tape lifting means whichwith said tape engaging portion defines a tape guide.

9. A tape moistener comprising a body adapted to receive water, anelongated tape guide member detachably supported by said body, saidguide member provided with a downwardly turned extension, laterallyspaced ears supported by said guide member adjacent said downwardlyturned extension, a tape pressureregulating member pivotally mounted ona pintle supported by said ears, a helical spring adj ustably mounted onsaid p'intle and adapted to yieldably urge said "pressure regulatingmember into-contact with the tape, said pressure re ulating member beinprovided with a tubu ar tape engaging mem er for co-operation with saiddownwardly turned extension, and a tape lifting member of substantiallyU-shape having one leg thereof secured to said pressure regulatingmember and the other leg thereof in operative position disposedsubstantially in al1nement with said downwardly turned extension, saidtubular tape engaging member and said other leg defining a guidefor thetape.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHRIS. J. WALBRAN.

